COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M sophomore forward Tonny Trocha-Morelos was arrested early Sunday morning in College Station on charges of driving while intoxicated, according to the Brazos County justice website.

He was released about an hour following his confinement in the Brazos County Jail after posting $2,000 bond on Sunday morning. An A&M spokesman said the university would be releasing information soon on the arrest.

According to a police report obtained by WTAW, Trocha-Morelos was pulled over by university police about 1:30 a.m. Sunday after driving without headlights near the Northgate bar district. Trocha-Morelos, 21, then failed field sobriety tests, according to the report.

The No. 15 Aggies play host to LSU at 8 p.m. Tuesday night in an SEC showdown. Trocha-Morelos is fifth on the team in scoring with 7.6 points per game, and he’s started 10 of the 15-2 Aggies’ 17 games.

]]>LeBron James on Johnny Manziel: He needs to get back to ‘caliber of player he was as an Aggie’https://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/lebron-james-on-johnny-manziel-he-needs-to-get-back-to-caliber-of-player-he-was-as-an-aggie/
Sat, 16 Jan 2016 06:18:46 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57744See image gallery at blog.mysanantonio.com]

NBA superstar LeBron James’ marketing agency cut ties with fickle Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel earlier this month, and James said on a visit to Houston perhaps someday renewing those business acquaintances with the former Texas A&M icon isn’t even on his mind.

What is on James’ mind is Manziel getting his life right off the field, James said following the Cavaliers’ 91-77 whipping of the Rockets on Friday at Toyota Center, about 100 miles from where Manziel electrified crowds at A&M’s Kyle Field in 2012 and ’13.

“The only concern for everyone is to see him back on the football field, but doing it at a professional level, and being able to get back to the caliber of player that he was back when he was an Aggie,” James said.

Following Johnny Football’s latest escapades off the field – according to multiple media reports Cleveland’s first-round draft pick in 2014 was partying in Las Vegas while the Browns played their regular-season finale at Pittsburgh – James had enough and his marketing agency LRMR said no more.

Manziel, who started six games this season and two last year, wasn’t required to be with his team in Pittsburgh after he was diagnosed with a concussion, but he also missed a required Sunday morning medical evaluation at team headquarters, according to Cleveland.com.

A&M’s 2012 Heisman Trophy winner also was wearing a blonde wig, glasses and a fake moustache on his Vegas sojourn, according to radio station ESPN Las Vegas, apparently to try and live it up under the alias “Billy.”

“We don’t know (what’s going on) … we’re not around him every day,” James said Friday of all the hijinks linked to Manziel. “Even being a business partner of his at the time, I wasn’t around him every day.”

Manziel, 23, might no longer have a choice to try and get things right in Cleveland. The Browns last week hired former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to try and improve on a 3-13 season under then-coach Mike Pettine, and Jackson told reporters in Cleveland he’d evaluate Manziel like everyone else.

“I don’t know Johnny personally,” Jackson said via Cleveland.com. “I know who he is, but at the same time I think I have to give everybody on our football team a fair opportunity to see who they are, to truly learn who they are, and then make decisions from there.”

Cleveland.com has reported Jackson privately doesn’t care for the distractions that have come with Manziel since his A&M tenure, and ESPN also reported Jackson was told during his interview that the franchise ridding itself of Manziel could be part of the equation, if so desired.

If Jackson does so, he will be following James’ lead, the latter’s decision surely one that stung Manziel, considering the Kerrville Tivy graduate’s long professed admiration of the 31-year-old NBA idol.

“What’s most important is him getting things in order for him, individually,” James said. “And then the sport side of the thing will take care of itself.”

]]>Texas A&M spring game returns to Kyle Field for first time in three yearshttps://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/texas-am-spring-game-returns-to-kyle-field-for-first-time-in-three-years/
Wed, 13 Jan 2016 22:56:52 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57717See image gallery at blog.mysanantonio.com]

COLLEGE STATION – An activity-filled weekend at Texas A&M just received an addition – and it’s a whopper.

The Aggies announced the return of a spring game to Kyle Field, set for April 9 at 5 p.m. A&M hasn’t played a spring game since 2013, thanks to the two-year Kyle Field rebuild that was completed last summer.

Ticket information should be available soon. The annual Texas A&M Parents Weekend sandwiches the spring game, as it runs from April 8-10.

A&M baseball plays host to Georgia in a Southeastern Conference series that weekend, as well, with the Saturday game scheduled for 1 p.m. The women’s tennis team also plays host to Tennessee on Friday and Georgia on Sunday.

A&M fans should get their first look at senior quarterback Trevor Knight, a transfer from Oklahoma. He and junior Jake Hubenak will compete for the starting gig, following the transfers of Kyle Allen (to Houston) and Kyler Murray (to OU) in December. The Aggies finished 8-5 last season.

]]>Texas A&M’s Billy Kennedy explains his dance dubbed ‘Mardi Gras Shuffle’https://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/texas-ams-billy-kennedy-explains-his-dance-dubbed-mardi-gras-shuffle/
Mon, 11 Jan 2016 19:14:59 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57662COLLEGE STATION – They’re not quite dancing in the streets on the Texas A&M campus, but they’re not far from it with the Aggies’ sixth consecutive win, this time on Saturday at Tennessee.

A&M (13-2, 3-0 SEC) leaped to No. 15 from No. 21 in the latest Associated Press poll, and the Aggies play host to Florida at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Reed Arena.

Speaking of dancing … fifth-year A&M coach Billy Kennedy busted out the dancing shoes following the Aggies’ 92-88 comeback victory at Tennessee – a dance apparently he only showcases in Knoxville, Tenn.

For further explanation on what Kennedy, a New Orleans native, has dubbed the “Mardi Gras Shuffle”:

]]>‘A special union … this man and his field’ — friends remember A&M legend Leo Goertzhttps://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/a-special-union-this-man-and-his-field-friends-remember-am-legend-leo-goertz/
Fri, 08 Jan 2016 18:55:47 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57628COLLEGE STATION – Last time I talked to a true Texas A&M legend in Leo Goertz, he said how much he appreciated the plentiful rain we’ve had in Brazos County – how it helped keep his precious fields green on that sports-soaked west side of Texas A&M’s campus.

Leo Goertz and Alan Cannon at Cannon’s wedding.

Leo – best known around campus and at Olsen Field and even in town as, “Leeee-oooo!” – passed away in early December. His memorial service is 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Kyle Field Hall of Champions. Rick Rigsby will officiate.

According to Leo’s obituary, “A reception will be held immediately following the service in the Hall of Champions so friends and family can recall the many wonderful memories of Goertz’ life. The interment will be held at 12:30 at the Aggie Field of Honor in College Station working with Hillier Funeral Home.”

Leo, described in A&M annals a “legendary field manager,” was a big man with a big moustache, and if someone didn’t know him he’d look downright intimidating. In truth, Leo was as kind and gentle a man as anyone ever associated with Texas A&M.

On that front, I will defer to two men I respect as much as anyone I’ve ever met, two wonderful family men and role models who Leo meant so much to: A&M sports information director Alan Cannon and former A&M and Sam Houston State baseball coach Mark Johnson.

Cannon posted this on Facebook following Leo’s passing, and posted here with his permission:

First of all, I’m very blessed with a wonderful family and great friends, some new, some old.
This past week I lost a guy, Leo Goertz, who just stands out in so many of my memories.
Leo was the first person I met as an incoming freshman at Olsen Field. He and I would travel to many Aggie baseball and football games together and most recently was sitting behind me on the charter flight.

I had the good fortune to room with him at Cain Hall, loved playing golf with him. I believe every move I have made in College Station, from dorm to apartment to first house to current house – Leo helped.

In his old beat-up pickup, he and I made a trip to Cypress to pick up a sleeper/sofa. Only problem, sister was not home and only one neighbor knew me. We made the mistake of joking about taking the bass that was mounted on the wall along with the sofa and another neighbor called the police. Nice to get pulled over by authorities on 290 and then realize if the right neighbor was not home, we were headed to jail.

He made sure the sprinklers were off at Olsen when I proposed. He stood as a groomsman at the front of the church when I married my wife. He gave us our first dog, Amber. Very important with me traveling and keeping Kaye company.

Uncle Leo to both of my girls. Always there for so many and was honored to sit with him and Coach Mark Johnson as Derrick Grubbs was honored by the Bryan Independent School District.
Bottom line for so many Aggie baseball players, Diamond Darlings, football players and people in general in College Station, Leo was always there. He will be missed greatly and you just can’t help but think, “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”

And this from Coach Johnson:

. . . It’s just like that sometimes. Things just match up, they connect, they click. Call it chemistry, a bond, a respect … call it love. It was that way with Leo and Olsen. A 35-year relationship. He took care of her and she took care of him.

Oh, they didn’t always get along. Olsen would get upset at weather changes, or if Leo left the tarp on too long, or if Leo put some “paint” on her to cover up some blemish. She wasn’t good at transitions from Rye to Bermuda . . . she liked fall and spring. Leo would try to “stretch her out” into May to keep her beautiful Rye Coat on her; He’d feed her extra, but she didn’t like the heat and the water from below … she wanted fresh water from above! But they both liked BIG Games, so they worked it out.

While most were sleeping, Leo was the one who woke her up in the early morning, and Leo was the one who turned off the lights and put her to bed at night … quiet moments … a pretty special union this man and his field.

You can see it, this man in the stillness of the morning sunrise, opening the gate down the right field line . . . their first glance at each other that day. He would make a quick check of her and then they would go to work. She would never know from game to game how Leo would cut her “hair” or if he would dress her with signage (i.e. NCAA Regionals, etc.), but she trusted his signature on her . . . they had a chemistry, a touch.

Leo protected her as best he could — tarp, food, water, apron, pads. Scratches, patches, rips — Leo would patch her up. She wasn’t the best by accident! She had some scars . . . the great ones always do.

The TV cameras would come and zoom in on her. They always exclaimed her beauty. She was officially ranked No. 1 in the nation several times, but for those who knew her, she didn’t take any years off! Visiting teams ALWAYS enjoyed being in her company, and always recognized Leo as “the best of the best” as well. The nation picked him No. 1 several times as well. You see, Olsen trusted Leo’s touch, his signature on “the cut,” the edging, the perfect smooth drag . . . it all just worked . . . this man and his field.

And then, before our very eyes, Olsen shared something special. . . who could miss it. Right after the morning cut, the fragrance of Olsen Field was baseball perfect. Olsen would exhale and the best baseball fragrance in the world would cover the field . . . better than hot dogs, popcorn, and the sticky pine tar. It was like Olsen was sharing her love, her depth with Leo. Yes, a very special man and his field. When we were in their company, we were richer for the occasion. We were truly blessed. That memory, my friends, will last a life time.

Oh, and one more thing. Olsen will shed some tears . . . she’ll miss his touch, but she is a strong lady. She already knows Craig and Nick, and they know her . . . all three will pick each other up. They will do well and they will proudly carry on the legacy of “the man.”

And know this: On Opening Day when roll call is made just before the game, “Leee-oooh” . . . he’ll be there, his footprints, his fingerprints, his kindness and gentleness … he’ll be there. . . you can’t miss it.

The office of Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp has hotly disputed a report by Chip Brown of Horns Digest with an email to the Chronicle. Brown’s article touching on a handful of subjects involving Texas A&M is behind a paywall.

Here is the response from the chancellor’s office:

“Austin-based sports blogger Chip Brown’s last attempt to report on Texas A&M football, on December 17, 2015, was apparently only the first in a series of fairy tales he intends to spin. Chancellor John Sharp made it clear to another reporter (Brent Zwerneman) that Brown’s speculation about him trying to get Kevin Sumlin fired was indeed a fairy tale. And there is no one more unethical than a reporter who has been embarrassed by being called out for misstating information who then decides to seek revenge. This new report – a fairy tale on steroids – seems to be Chip Brown’s attempt at revenge. The entire report is patently false, but here are a few of the biggest errors:

“Discussing the budget for the redevelopment of Kyle Field, which was revised in December 2014 from $450 million to $485 million, Brown says “…that I’m told actually cost $520 million because of $70 million in overruns…”. This is hogwash. The project was delivered on time and on budget. Anything outside of this would have required a vote by the Board of Regents, and that was never necessary.

“Brown then says that “the biggest problem facing A&M as it pays off $350 million bonded to the university is that most of the pledges made to help finance a big chunk of the renovation costs were made back when oil was between $80 and $107 a barrel. Oil is now hovering around $35 a barrel.” Fact: the initial financing plan included $125 million in pledges, which are already in hand. Any speculation about the effect of oil prices? More hogwash. Brown has his mind set on a false narrative and isn’t letting facts stand in his way.

“Brown’s new fairy story continues with lies about Chancellor Sharp’s involvement with Kyler Murray’s recruitment. Chancellor Sharp has never met Kyler Murray or his parents and has never been involved with his recruitment or the recruitment of any other student athlete. Indeed, no one has ever asked him to be involved in recruitment, and we challenge Mr. Brown to produce one student athlete Chancellor Sharp helped recruit. His unnamed “sources” have steered him way off course.

“Next on the list of falsehoods: that Chancellor Sharp was “blowing up the phones of Sumlin and Spavital starting in the middle of the Alabama game to get Kyler Murray more involved.” Anyone who was in the Chancellor’s suite that day knows this is 100% not true. He was watching the game with his guests, not dialing up the coaches.

“Apparently Mr. Brown’s hate for Texas A&M and Chancellor Sharp has gotten in the way of his doing even the most basic fact-checking. At the beginning of his diatribe, he refers to Chancellor Sharp and former Governor Rick Perry as “roommates at Texas A&M.” They were never roommates. Mr. Brown says he covered Governor Perry and then-Comptroller Sharp as a news reporter for the Associated Press; Chancellor Sharp says he “wouldn’t know Chip Brown from Adam’s housecat.”

“We respectfully suggest that Mr. Brown should consider sticking to covering UT football and leave reporting on Texas A&M to reporters who pay closer attention to the facts and who do not have some kind of personal axe to grind with John Sharp. In the meantime, we hereby nominate “Cowchip” Brown for sleaziest reporter in Texas, with full confidence he will win hands down.”

COLLEGE STATION – Kevin Sumlin has reached out West for his fourth offensive coordinator in five seasons at Texas A&M.

The Aggies have hired UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone in the same role, according to multiple reports from late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. FootballScoop.com first reported the hire.

An official announcement is expected Thursday or Friday, to let a recruiting class that will sign in less than a month know who will be running the offensive show at A&M. The Aggies open their season against UCLA at Kyle Field.

Mazzone, 58, has spent the past four seasons at UCLA, and this season the Bruins’ offense had six games of more than 500 yards. He’ll have a three-year guaranteed contract worth a little more than $1 million annually, according to ESPN.

Sumlin makes $5 million annually, while second-year defensive coordinator John Chavis makes about $1.7 million annually. Mazzone’s Bruins offense ranked 28th nationally this season. He and Sumlin worked together as assistants at Minnesota in the early 1990s.

Mazzone, a former New York Jets receivers coach, has served as an offensive coordinator in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Southeastern and Pac-12 conferences, according to his biography.

He replaces Jake Spavital, who was released from the program earlier this week after two seasons as A&M’s offensive coordinator. Kliff Kingsbury served as Sumlin’s offensive coordinator in 2012 before Kingsbury became Texas Tech’s head coach.

Sumlin replaced Kingsbury with then-A&M running backs coach Clarence McKinney, who was demoted back to running backs coach following the 2013 regular season. Sumlin then promoted Spavital from quarterbacks coach, although like McKinney he had no experience calling plays in a major conference.

A&M’s offense has regressed statistically in each of Sumlin’s four seasons. Mazzone is expected to bring along the quarterbacks coach from UCLA, his son Taylor Mazzone.

The Aggies have hired Scott Woodward, who’s been Washington’s athletic director since 2008, to fill the same role at A&M, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Woodward’s hiring was first reported by Chip Brown of Horns Digest.

Woodward is an LSU graduate, and he follows A&M president Michael K. Young from Washington, where Young also served as president before arriving at A&M last year.

In addition to his time at Washington, Woodward served as external affairs director at LSU from 2000-04, according to his biography.

According to the bio, “Before starting (a) consulting firm, Woodward was a political consultant and legislative liaison (for) the governor of Louisiana, Buddy Roemer, at one time working alongside famed political consultant, James Carville. At the age of 22, he managed his first congressional race.”

Hyman, A&M’s athletic director since 2012, had agreed to stay on until his successor was named. It appears that will be quite a short stay.

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M’s 2016 season got a little brighter on Wednesday, as three veteran starters put any rumors to rest by declaring they’re returning for another season.

Defensive end Daeshon Hall and receiver Josh Reynolds, who will both be seniors, and junior-to-be receiver Ricky Seals-Jones all likely would have been NFL draft selections, perhaps in the middle-to-late rounds for all three. Seals-Jones is eligible for the draft this year after redshirting in 2013 following an injury early in the season.

The trio is likely to find out soon who they’ll answer to in 2016, as well, considering coach Kevin Sumlin is honing in on a target or targets to replace offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, who exited the program on Sunday.

Reynolds turned in a monster game a week ago in the Aggies’ 27-21 loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl, with 11 catches for 177 yards. Meanwhile former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight announced this week he’s transferring to A&M for his senior season (he’s eligible immediately as a college graduate), and he’ll compete with junior-to-be Jake Hubenak for the starting gig.

Last year’s starters at quarterback, sophomore Kyle Allen and freshman Kyler Murray, both have transferred (Allen to Houston and Murray to Oklahoma).

As expected, senior-to-be Trevor Knight announced via Twitter that he is exiting Oklahoma and will play for the Aggies this fall. He’s eligible to play immediately as a college graduate.

Knight, who lost his starting job to Baker Mayfield last fall, is expected to contend with junior-to-be Jake Hubenak for the Aggies’ starting gig. A&M lost sophomore Kyle Allen and freshman Kyler Murray to transfers in mid-December.

Knight wrote Monday that he looks “forward to making my last year of eligibility a memorable one.”

Murray already has signed with OU, but he’ll have to sit out a season under transfer rules. Knight’s highlight at OU occurred to wrap up the 2013 season, when he threw four touchdown passes in the Sooners’ defeat of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The San Antonio Reagan High graduate started 10 games in 2014 but missed three because of injury.

Mayfield, a transfer of his own from Texas Tech, wound up finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy race, and the Sooners lost in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff to Clemson on New Year’s Eve.

The Aggies, who finished 8-5 with a 27-21 loss to Louisville on Wednesday in Nashville’s Music City Bowl behind Hubenak, open the 2016 season at home against UCLA.

“We are excited to welcome Trevor to the Aggie family,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. “We look forward to him joining our team in January and know he will be a great representative of Texas A&M.”

]]>Kevin Sumlin ‘trying hard’ to split for NFL? Time for Aggies coach to address speculationhttps://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/kevin-sumlin-trying-hard-to-split-for-nfl-time-for-aggies-coach-to-address-speculation/
Sun, 03 Jan 2016 20:36:16 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57498If Texas A&M fourth-year coach Kevin Sumlin truly intends to coach the Aggies in 2016, he’ll need to speak up soon if only to reassure his recruiting class planning to sign on the dotted line in about a month.

According to a Twitter post on Sunday from NFL.com’s Mike Silver, “Two college coaches who, sources say, are trying hard to get to the NFL: UCLA’s Jim Mora and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin.”

About three years ago Sumlin told the Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News he’d perhaps consider the NFL “maybe later – some time later.” He also said he’d already turned down an NFL job, later determined to be the Eagles before they hired (the now fired) Chip Kelly three years ago.

At the time the Aggies were coming off of an 11-2 season and quarterback Johnny Manziel had won the 2012 Heisman Trophy. A&M has since finished 9-4 (in Manziel’s last season), 8-5 and 8-5 again this season. The heat around Aggieland is intensifying on Sumlin, considering he received a $2 million raise to $5 million two years ago, and his overall results (and once-prolific offense) have been on the decline since. Especially with the dynamic Manziel having moved on to the NFL.

Two high-profile A&M quarterbacks, sophomore Kyle Allen and freshman Kyler Murray, also transferred around the same time in December, prior to the Aggies’ 27-21 Music City Bowl loss to 8-5 Louisville of the ACC on Wednesday in Nashville. Losing two such quarterbacks without any real explanation has upset A&M fans as much as anything.

Still, Sumlin is 36-16 over four seasons of coaching in the SEC West, an impressive number that will catch a handful of NFL owners’ attention. Sumlin is owed $20 million by A&M on the remaining four years of his contract, but of course that buyout evaporates if he heads to the NFL.

]]>Aggies roll over Arkansas in SEC openerhttps://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2016/01/aggies-roll-over-arkansas-in-sec-opener/
Sun, 03 Jan 2016 00:07:19 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57485COLLEGE STATION – Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said he believed his team needed to play a near-perfect game in Reed Arena to have a chance against No. 20 Texas A&M.

Just the idea an opposing coach said as much about the Aggies shows how far the program has come in a couple of seasons – and Saturday offered another stark example of as much. Senior guard Jalen Jones scored a career-high 28 points as A&M defeated Arkansas 92-69 on Saturday in Reed Arena before a boisterous crowd of 11,332 in the teams’ SEC opener.

The Aggies (11-2) capitalized on 15 Arkansas turnovers by outscoring the Razorbacks 22-8 in points off of turnovers. A&M senior guard Alex Caruso set the school career record for steals with 230, including two on Saturday. He entered the game tied with guard David Edwards (1991-94) with 228 steals.

“I told him congrats in the middle of the game,” a smiling Jones said of giving Caruso a pat on the back. “He deserves it.”

A&M, in scoring its most points ever in an SEC contest, won its fourth consecutive game after falling at Arizona State 67-54 on Dec. 5, and also made up for an 81-75 loss at Arkansas last February. While Arkansas holds a series advantage of 98-54, the Aggies have won four of six in the rivalry that dates to both programs’ Southwest Conference days starting in 1915.

“The Lord has blessed me with a great opportunity and I am excited for this next chapter in my life,” Ifedi posted on his Twitter page.

Ifedi, a Westside High graduate who redshirted his first season at A&M, nearly declared for the draft a year ago before returning for his junior season. His exit means the Aggies are losing three starters from an offensive line that struggled for much of A&M’s 8-5 season that wrapped up on Wednesday with a 27-21 loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl.

Ifedi’s primary backup at right tackle this season was redshirt freshman Koda Martin of Manvel. The Aggies also are losing senior center Mike Matthews and senior guard Joseph Cheek from this year’s starting lineup.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Texas A&M’s season wraps up Wednesday night against Louisville in the Music City Bowl, and this list starts and ends with A&M’s quarterback. No lie:

Quarterback: Casual A&M fans who weren’t even interested in the 8-4 Aggies playing in a middlin’ bowl now are quite interested, based on the sudden exits this month of starting quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. Sophomore Jake Hubenak earns his first start at A&M in the Aggies’ last game of the season, in what’s become an audition for next season, as well.

Play-calling: We’ve reported time and again we expect this to be Jake Spavital’s final game as offensive coordinator, so how he handles as much (especially with Hubenak running the show) is one of the more intriguing aspects of the postseason. Will Spavital’s play-calling card (or cards) feature a drawing of a kitchen sink?

Coaching: Kevin Sumlin and Bobby Petrino go way back to their assistant days in the Northwest (Sumlin at Washington State, Petrino at Idaho) but haven’t faced each other as head coaches. Petrino owned the Aggies from 2009-2011 while at Arkansas, but that was against then-A&M coach Mike Sherman. Meanwhile the Aggies have won four straight bowl games, including three under Sumlin.

Defense: John Chavis’s bunch steadily improved overall as the season wore on, and he said he’s added a few wrinkles over the past few week of bowl preparation. The Aggies will be tasked with slowing a mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who’s also the Cardinals’ leading rusher. A&M’s biggest deficiency all season was against the run, so perhaps Chavis’s new wrinkles address as much (although that’s never an easy fix, especially considering A&M’s lack of quality linebackers).

Quarterback All Over Again: Specifically, who are Hubenak’s backups? Should he exit because of injury or ineffectiveness, will Sumlin turn to former walk-on Conner McQueen? Will the Aggies turn to the wildcat, although the leading candidate to run that offense, receiver Speedy Noil, is suspended? These are questions Sumlin hopes he doesn’t have to answer in the season finale.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Alabama beat writers are in the second year of what I believe is a great idea: Tabbing a player for an annual “Good Guy Award” for essentially being a good guy for the media to deal with after wins, losses and in-between (not a real complicated concept, to their credit).

Crimson Tide linebacker Reggie Ragland won it this year in a vote of the writers, and stumbling across this nugget on Twitter got my between-my-ears gears to grinding: Who is Texas A&M’s “Good Guy” this season?

The first name that popped in my mind is the winner, because he was the one most mentioned by other A&M beat reporters, as well: senior defensive lineman Julien Obioha.

Obioha, who also has a reputation as a model student, apparently has never had a bad day – at least not when he’s been around us. He’s insightful, helpful and he’s funny. Example of that last one: When he compared what happens on the bottom of the pile (in reference to his game-winning fumble recovery at Auburn in 2014) to Las Vegas.

“What happens on the bottom of the pile,” Obioha said afterward with a knowing wink, “stays on the bottom of the pile.”

Obioha is a four-year starter for coach Kevin Sumlin, so he’s had plenty of microphones and cameras stuck in his face over the years. Not once has he flinched, or even been so much as impolite when he could have and no one would have really blamed him.

Some honorable mentions from media covering A&M on the good guy front: Mike Matthews, Tra Carson, Myles Garrett, Kyle Allen and Drew Kaser. At a media gathering on Sunday night at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, I casually mentioned to Obioha that he had won our oh-so unofficial Good Guy Award.

“Really?” he said, his eyebrows raising to pair with a touch of bemusement.

I told him we appreciated how he handled interviews and treated people, well, as people. I added that, sorry, we hadn’t made him a plaque or anything along those lines like those fancy folks over in Alabama.

“That’s all right,” he said, smiling, genuinely cheerful at this unexpected recognition. “How about a handshake?”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Texas A&M sophomore receiver Speedy Noil’s college career continues to be a perilous one. Coach Kevin Sumlin announced on Tuesday that Noil is suspended for Wednesday night’s Music City Bowl against Louisville.

Noil played in only nine of 12 games this season, with one of those misses because of suspension, and he also was suspended for a big chunk of spring drills. 247Sports had first reported the suspension earlier this month, but Sumlin did not confirm it until the day before the bowl game. Noil has 21 catches for 226 yards this season, compared to 44 receptions for 559 yards as a freshman. He has been taking part in bowl practices.

The Aggies are trying to win five consecutive bowl games for the first time in history. Sophomore quarterback Jake Hubenak is set to earn his first start at A&M in place of sophomore Kyle Allen and freshman Kyler Murray, who both transferred earlier this month.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray started 12 of the Aggies’ 13 games this season, but you’ll never know it from the 2015 team picture.

“There’s a reason coach (Kevin) Sumlin takes the team picture at the end of the year,” A&M sophomore defensive end Myles Garrett said on Sunday night. “You never know who’s going to be there at the end of the year. Who’s there are going to be your real teammates.”

The sophomore Allen and freshman Murray both announced they were transferring this month, and Murray already has signed with Oklahoma. The 8-4 Aggies are preparing for Wednesday night’s Music City Bowl against 7-5 Louisville, and took part in a bowl function on Sunday night at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville.

Sophomore Jake Hubenak, a transfer from Blinn College, is set to make his first start for the Aggies in the absences of Allen and Murray.

“He didn’t really talk about the guys who left too much,” A&M defensive lineman Julien Obioha told the Chronicle of any pre-bowl talks from Sumlin to the team about the transfers. “He wants guys in the team photo who went through all of the ups and downs of the season, and stuck it out for the bowl game, and played in the final game. That’s really resonated with the team.”

Added Garrett, “It doesn’t matter who it is (at quarterback), I just want them to be here and enjoy leading this team and enjoy leading this offense, and to play hard and have fun.”

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said he’s ready to kick off the Jake Hubenak era, starting with the Music City Bowl against Louisville on Dec. 30 in Nashville.

“We’ve had great practices and we’ve got great energy right now, and they’ve rallied around him,” Sumlin on Monday told ESPN Nashville radio, the flagship station of the Music City Bowl. “I look forward to him playing, and playing well, in the bowl game.”

Last week A&M freshman quarterback Kyler Murray announced he was transferring, following the transfer the week before of sophomore Kyle Allen. Both five-star prospects were starting at the time of their transfer. Hubenak is a sophomore transfer from Blinn College who actually came off the bench in front of Murray to relieve Allen late in the loss at LSU to close out the regular season.

“No one on our coaching staff is bigger than our team, and no one person is bigger than the team,” Sumlin told the station when asked about the transfers. “We’ve got a number of really good players here who understand, ‘Hey, listen, guys come and go, what we want to do and what we try to accomplish is really band together in a team concept.’”

“I don’t deal with anything like that, good or bad,” Sumlin told the Nashville station. “There are all kinds of reports that happen around me, or around the football program all of the time. I can tell you it doesn’t affect what we do, and doesn’t affect how we approach our job, and it doesn’t affect our players.

“Where those reports come from, you have to pay attention to, who reports that kind of stuff. If you look into that, I think you’ll figure out what the motive is.”

Sharp on Friday night described the report as a “fairy tale” and “completely false” and perhaps “out of the imagination” of the reporter, and suggested maybe someone, or a couple of people, were even misleading the reporter just to mess with him.

The Aggies have had two touted quarterbacks transfer in a little more than a week’s time, sophomore starter Kyle Allen and his replacement as starter, freshman Kyler Murray, prompting alarm bells ringing in Aggieland.

According to the Horns Digest online article from Chip Brown, “Two sources close to the situation said Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp is very concerned about the internal direction of the Aggie football program under Kevin Sumlin, 51, and is looking into the possibility of terminating Sumlin’s contract, which has a $20 million buyout.”

The article then said A&M would pursue Houston’s Tom Herman or North Carolina’s Larry Fedora.

The Aggies (8-4) are set to play Louisville (7-5) on Dec. 30 in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn. Sophomore Jake Hubenak, a transfer from Blinn College, is A&M’s new starting quarterback.

Sumlin declined comment on the transfers when reached at the Bright Football Complex on Thursday night, saying “right now is not the time,” but that he intended to discuss them soon. Sharp is on vacation in Colorado with his family.

]]>‘Personal issues’ lead to forward Elijah Thomas’s exit from Texas A&Mhttps://blog.mysanantonio.com/aggies/2015/12/personal-issues-lead-to-forward-elijah-thomass-exit-from-texas-am/
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 03:50:48 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=57144COLLEGE STATION – After about six months on campus, forward Elijah Thomas has decided Texas A&M isn’t the place for him.

“I love the staff and the school,” Thomas told ESPN on Monday night of a decision to transfer. “But I just feel as though it’s best for me to get a fresh start somewhere else.”

Aggies coach Billy Kennedy had said on Saturday of Thomas’s absence from the bench during the Aggies’ win over Kansas State that the freshman was dealing with “personal issues” and Kennedy hoped he’d return soon. Kennedy issued a statement on Thomas’s choice to leave on Monday night:

“I’m disappointed in Elijah’s decision to transfer. He’s struggled with injuries and missed several weeks of practice. Unfortunately, sometimes young people have a hard time working through the process. I wish Elijah the best.”

Thomas of Lancaster was one of four touted freshmen out of the Metroplex who formed one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, although he wasn’t being counted on as much as Tyler Davis, D.J. Hogg and Admon Gilder in the early going.

ESPN ranked Thomas the No. 31 player in the class of 2015. The No. 24 Aggies (8-2) play host to former Big 12 rival and No. 16 Baylor (7-1) starting 8 p.m. Saturday in Reed Arena.